[fire_fighter_mike2]

I have a 1981 GS450 with only 6,500miles on it. It has been parked since 86 in a garage.

It was given to me, he told me it ran when he parked it. I have done everything in my power to get that thing to start. i charged the battery, new plugs, cleaned out carb, checked fuses, and everything.

There is good compression, i put starter fluid in each cylinder and nothing happened. The starter and horn don't work, no sound what so ever.

What could be the problem?

Michael


ARE GS550 PARTS INTERCHANGEABLE WITH THE GS450? :?: :?: :?:

 

[AwwsChwA]

some GS550 parts are interchangeable, but I'd check both service manuals to make sure before I started swappin stuff over that "looked" like it fit.

I have a 1981 GS450-S. By the sound of it, the next thing you need to check is your main fuse block and power distributor. The electrical center is located behind the plastic side cover on the left side of the bike. I highly recommend taking pictures of all the wires you disconnect. It'll make reassembly lots easier.

You say the horn and starter don't work...does the headlight work? The horn won't work until the ignition is on, just in case you didn't already know. When you turn the ignition on, do the instrument panel lights come on? There should be a gear indicator (will be green if in neutral) and a red oil light that turn on as soon as the ignition is on.

 

[fire_fighter_mike2]

The light does work, the gear indicator light come on, but when ever i do i cannot get any spark.

How many fuses should be this bike?

Thansk!

Michael

 

[AwwsChwA]

Ok, so the bike has juice. You say it's not getting spark. Did you get the starter working? You said that was dead too. The starter and ignition coils are really easy to access.

The ignition coils are under the gas tank. To remove the tank, you just take the seat off, and there's one bolt (15mm if I remember correctly) at the bottom center of the tank. Turn the fuel feed to the ON position, disconnect the fuel lines (two rubber tubes) and lift the tank up off the bike. The coils will be underneath, they're gray and have the spark plug wires coming directly from them.

The starter is located on the transmission case just behind the cylinders/heads. Look for the dome-shaped metal plate that's held by two small screws, it's right on top of the tranny case. The starter is in there.

Again, not to insult your intelligence, but make sure you disconnect the battery negative cable before tinkering with the starter. Once you can access the parts, you can trace the wiring and figure out where the short is. If you get the starter working and still have no spark (and the coils are good), check things like the timing advance mechanism (under a side cover on the engine) and check that you have proper grounding to the engine. Your problem might just be a weak ground, so the spark has nowhere to go.

 

[fire_fighter_mike2]

Just to make sure, where should the horn be on this bike? How many fuses should there be, i only have one!

Michael

 

[AwwsChwA]

There may only be one fuse. I haven't had to do anything with the fuses, so I'm not sure. The horn is located in front of the engine in between the upper part of the two frame rails. It's a black circle that looks like a speaker.

 

[The Chad]

NEW battery and points

 

[fire_fighter_mike2]

now why would you say new battery? I do need to get a new one

The battery is bad and will only hold a charge for a couple of minutes before dieing. But wouldn't the horn or starter make a sound?

Points, what exactly are those?

Thansk

 

[The Chad]

Bike batteries for the most part, last for 2 years, and I belive that 86 till now is slightly more than 2 years lol.
If a bike sits for a long time, it's quite possable that the ignition points are badly corroded and will not creat a hot enough spark.

 

[AwwsChwA]

The battery is bad and will only hold a charge for a couple of minutes before dieing. But wouldn't the horn or starter make a sound?

Points, what exactly are those?

Thansk

You shoulda said this earlier. If your battery *is* charged, but wont hold a charge, then your starter will not work. When my bike killed its battery, only the headlight worked. The starter draws a ton of power. And no, you won't have a horn either, becuz that only works when the ignition is on, and since you've got a dead battery already struggling to run a headlight and the instrument lights, you don't have enough juice for the horn.

So, get a battery, and make sure the store charges it for you. Batteries are not shipped with acid in them, nor are they charged. When you buy the battery, tell them you want it charged. It shouldn't cost anymore (didnt for me), and they'll keep the battery overnight, fill it with acid, and charge it for you.

I'm not absolutely positive, but I don't think your bike has points. "Points" are what old vehicles use to jump the ignition spark down the wire and across the spark plug electrode. It's really hard to describe without a picture, so do a google search on "points ignition systems" and you should find several good tutorials. Besides, with a bike with as few miles as yours, even though it's old, your ignition system is fine with the possible exception of spark plugs. My GS450 has 15k miles on it, and it's in great condition electrically and mechanically.

Oh, and here's a very helpful tip for you: DO NOT leave the headlight switched on all the time. When it's left on, that means that, every time you put the key in the ignition, the headlight is on for a few seconds before you start the engine. That headlight is drawing power (a lot of power) directly from the battery without the generator to recharge it. The same thing applies to when you're parking the bike. Turn the headlight off BEFORE you shut the engine off. Otherwise you'll suck the battery dry in a few weeks becuz the headlight is running without the generator. Make sense?

 

[fire_fighter_mike2]

THANKS, I WILL GET A BATTERY THEN!

MICHAEL

 

[gamer4life]

I had the same problem for about an hour, for some reason my bike wants you to depress the clutch lever and hold it while you hit the "starter" button
new battery, high quality gas, cleaned the carbs to a shine (inside and out), new gaskets, new fuel line...turned it over for a few seconds and it fired right up

 

[Easy Rider]

for some reason my bike wants you to depress the clutch lever and hold it while you hit the "starter" button

I think that's a Suzuki thing.
Most makes only require you to be in Neutral.

I doubt that the folks in the original discussion will see your message though.....since the discussion thread is about 11 years old.

Welcome to the forum. :bluethum: